1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to thermostatic controls and, in particular, to thermostatic controls an appliance such as a food preparation or a sanitation appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,801 assigned to Teleflex Canada Limited Partnership discloses a much improved portable liquid fuel stove as compared with earlier equipment of this nature. The stove is utilized for various purposes including cooking during military field operations. It is used in appliances such as range ovens, steam tables, tray ration heaters, field sanitation equipment, and stock pot heating racks. These appliances perform functions like roasting, grilling, broiling, frying, heating water and other liquids, and baking. In military field operations, the stove is often required to operate under difficult conditions and therefore must be reliable in operation and capable of performing at a high level in order to meet the demands of the users.
The above-described stove comprises a burner unit which combines a series of different functions including regulating fuel flow from low to high, infinitely, relative to the position of a control knob. The output of the burner unit may be manually and intermittently adjusted, through rotation of the control knob, to maintain a desired temperature. This may be labour intensive and inconvenient. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved means of controlling the output of the burner unit and temperature of the stove.